THE Pope held a private meeting with the King and Queen at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, on Wednesday afternoon, and gave them his “best wishes” for their 20th wedding anniversary.

The King and Queen were on the third day of a state visit to Italy, where they have also met the President, Sergio Mattarella, and the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, in Rome.

A statement released by Buckingham Palace after the meeting at the Vatican said that the King and Queen had been “delighted the Pope was well enough to host them — and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person”.

They had been “deeply touched by the Pope’s kind remarks about their 20th wedding anniversary and honoured to be able to share their best wishes to him in person”, the statement continued.

The Royal Family’s social-media accounts posted a photo of the three, with the caption “Che occasione speciale”, which translates as “What a special occasion.”

Pope Francis has been convalescing at the Casa Santa Marta since being released from the Gemelli Hospital, just over two weeks ago (News, 28 March).

A statement from the Holy See Press Office said that the Pope had “reciprocated His Majesty’s wishes for a speedy recovery of his health”, referring to the King’s hospital visit in late March for the side effects of treatment for cancer, which was diagnosed last year (News, 9 February 2024).